One Last Time
by got99problems
Summary: Elena returns to Mystic Falls to be with her one true love, Stefan. But will he accept her or has he moved on? Stelena one-shot.


**_A/N: Hi guys, I'm back with another Stelena one-shot. This was inspired by Ariana Grande's song One Last Time. Sort of long for a one-shot but I didn't feel like breaking it into multiple chapters so here you go. I hope you enjoy :)_**

* * *

 _Caroline and I were walking down the street, heading to her house to check on her mom when all of a sudden Caroline abruptly stopped walking and turned to me with worried eyes. "There's something I need to tell you."_

" _Okay..."_

" _I kissed Stefan. Actually he kissed me. No, actually we kissed each other." She rambled._

" _Wow, really? When did this happen?" I was surprised._

" _Yesterday when we were at my dad's cabin."_

" _Oh, ok. So are you two dating now or?"_

" _I don't know! We just kissed, but I have to admit it felt amazing. And I've been having feelings for him for a while now, I just never said anything."_

" _Well if he feels the same way about you then I say go for it." I was lying through my teeth. I didn't want Caroline to be with Stefan but who was I to object? Stefan and I have been broken up for two years now. And I'm with Damon._

" _Really? It wouldn't be weird for you? You know since he was the love of your life at one point and he's always loved you…."_

" _Stefan and I are just friends. He's allowed to move on and I want him to be happy." He's allowed to move on but that doesn't mean I want him too. Especially not with one of my best friends._

" _Yeah you're right, he should be happy and I can be the one to do that." Caroline happily stated._

" _Right!" I fake smiled._

" _That settles it then. Next time I see Stefan I'm going to be straight up and tell him how I feel."_

That was over a year ago. Since then so much has happened. For one, I'm human now and I've been away from Mystic Falls and everyone there. I needed to get away to rediscover myself and find out who I was as a human. Find out who I was without Damon. Damon and I agreed that while we did love each other, we weren't right for each other. Our relationship was toxic and it didn't benefit neither one of us. After I took the cure I realized how selfish I had been when I was with Damon and how I let everything and everyone slip through my fingers. I was so consumed by my relationship with Damon that I didn't take the time to really be there for anyone else. I didn't want to be like that anymore and I didn't want to be that person so I went away. Being away from Mystic Falls has been wonderful but there's one thing that keeps me from truly being happy. There's one person I can't stop thinking about wherever I go. **Stefan.** Even though Stefan and I haven't been together in a long time and we both ended up moving on, I've always felt like we made a mistake, or rather I did by not trying to save our relationship. I know my relationship with Damon hurt him deeply in the beginning but eventually we were able to be friends and focus on other aspects of our lives. I thought I had everything figured out but I was wrong. That is why I'm on my way to Mystic Falls at this very moment. It may be selfish of me to come back here and try to get Stefan back after everything we've been through, and after everything I put him through but how can I not? He's the love of my life. I refuse to live the rest of my life wondering what would have happened if I had come back to tell Stefan how I feel and tell him that I love him. I need to do this even if he doesn't feel the same way. Even if his heart doesn't belong to me anymore, my heart will always belong to his.

* * *

I pull up to the Salvatore boarding house with a slight smile on my face. This house was like a second home to me. I've had so many memories at this place and seeing it again makes me feel nostalgic but I also have a nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach knowing what I'm about to do. I step out of my car with my heart beating through my ears and slowly walk up to the door to knock three times. I waited a few seconds until I heard the door being unlocked and Damon's shocked blue eyes meet mine.

"Elena?"

"Hey Damon." I smiled.

"What are you doing here? Is there something going on that I don't know about?"

"No I just decided to come home and visit. How are you?"

"I'm good. And you look great."

"Thank you. Well don't just stand there, give me a hug."

Damon smirked as he leaned forward to hug me. It was a little awkward but I know that we're ok with each other.

"Is Stefan here?"

"No he's at the Grill with Caroline." Shit. I should have known he would be with Caroline.

"Oh, ok well I'll just go meet them there and surprise them."

"They'll definitely be surprised. I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I'll see you soon."

Damon smiled and closed the door as I turned to walk back to my car. I was starting to think this wasn't a good idea to come unannounced and profess my love to Stefan when he was clearly with Caroline but I hadn't come this far to chicken out so I went to the Grill anyway. As soon as I pulled up I noticed Stefan walking out going the other direction. I quickly unbuckled my seat belt and got out of the car before he took off.

"Stefan!" I waved.

"Elena?" He squinted as if he didn't have perfect vision.

"Hey!" I ran up to him and gave him a big hug.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were gone from this place for good."

"Despite all the craziness it's still my home. And I had to come back to see you…and everybody else of course."

"I'm glad you're here. You look great by the way, I'm loving the hair." Stefan grinned.

"Thanks, I had to change it up." I touched my dark brown shoulder length hair and started to blush. Why am I blushing? Get it together Elena.

"So where's Caroline? I talked to Damon and he said you two were here."

"Caroline just left actually and I'm on my way home."

"Great, I can give you a lift."

Stefan and I went inside the boarding house and I sat down as Stefan made me a drink. Damon came from around the corner announcing he was leaving to meet up with Bonnie which left Stefan and I alone in the house. I was sort of relieved but also extremely nervous of what was to come.

"Thanks." I whispered as Stefan handed me a drink.

"So tell me what's been going on with you? How's life?" Stefan asked.

"Life is great. I've gotten to do a little traveling and had some cool jobs here and there. I plan on getting back into college soon so I can get my degree. How are things here?"

"That's great. And things here are surprisingly normal, it's weird not having anybody try to kill us."

I laughed. "Yeah I know what you mean." I hesitated before I finally spoke up again.

"I really missed you Stefan." He smiled. "There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about but I don't know how to start or even what to really say."

"What do you mean, are you in trouble?" I looked up at his puzzled, worried, beautiful green eyes.

"No, nothing like that. I just wanted you to know that I didn't come back here to visit everyone else….I came back for you." He stared at me.

"Ok here we go," I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Since I've been away from Mystic Falls I've been so happy and I thought that I could just move on from everyone here but I can't. I can't stop thinking about you Stefan and I don't want to stop."

"Elena…" he started but I cut him off.

"Just let me speak ok? I know that this is a lot to take in and it may seem crazy for me to come back now after all of this time but it's the truth. My feelings for you have always been present whether I showed it or not. And after Damon and I ended things I knew right away that it was you that I wanted. I've always loved you and I don't think I can ever stop. You're the one who knows me the best, and you're the one who keeps me from falling apart, you're the one who I think about every day. I don't know if I ever truly apologized for the way things went down between me, you and Damon but I am sorry. I am so sorry for hurting you and for not fighting to keep our relationship together. I should have done you better but instead I let Damon come between us and I gave up on us. I let you slip through my fingers and I don't want that to ever happen again. I know about you and Caroline and I don't mean to be disrespectful towards her but I can't keep denying my feelings for you. I won't act like you're just another one of my buddies because you're not. You're so much more than that. I love you Stefan. I just need you to know that." I finished with a few tear drops coming down my cheeks.

I could tell Stefan was shocked but he also looked as if he wanted to cry as well. He always did share my emotions with me. Whatever I was feeling, he would feel 10x more.

"Elena…" he breathed. "I thought we had moved on, we've been broken up for two years. And you love Damon. You chose to be with Damon. I can't, I can't go back down that road."

I was hurting inside and my heart was beating so fast, I knew he could hear it. I should have known this wouldn't end well. He's with Caroline now, why would I think he would drop everything for me?

"Stefan I get it. I put you through a lot and you probably thought you'd never be in this situation again but let me be clear when I say I'm not in love with Damon anymore. I love him but we could never be more. I love _you,_ I'm in love with _you._ I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can't promise you forever anymore but I hope that you'll have me anyway."

"I've always loved you Elena, you know that. And I always will. You're the one girl I know I will never stop loving but I just can't get invested into something, into you, to end up broken hearted again. I can't go through that Elena. It nearly killed me the first time. And what kind of a future could I give you? You're human which means you'll grow and want to have kids, start a family, I can't give you those things. No matter how badly I wish I could. It wouldn't work, things are different now."

"I don't believe that. You can give me everything I've always wanted. I just want you." My voice cracked at the end. I couldn't stop the tears that were spilling over.

"Elena, I-" I got up and walked towards him before he could say another word.

"Look at me," I grabbed his face. He stared down at me with such a compassionate look. "Do you love me?"

"Yes." He answered quickly.

"Are you still in love with me?"

"Yes." He whispered.

"Then that's all I need to know." I was kissing him then. Our lips crashed together like a giant wave coming up in the ocean. I missed the familiarity of his touch and the passion that came with kissing him. I almost forgot how amazing he tasted. He kissed me back with no shame. I guess him and Caroline weren't so in love after all. We made our way upstairs to his bedroom, never losing contact and diminishing each other's clothes. He picked me up and laid me down on his bed as he continued to kiss every inch of my body. He started at the top and made his way to the bottom until I was panting and begging for more.

* * *

 _Later that day..._

I was laying on top of Stefan's chest just appreciating this moment and the peacefulness when he decided to speak up. "I missed hearing the beat of your heart. It has a special skip to it that I can only recognize as yours."

I peeked up at him while he looked at me and we both smiled.

"You know now that I've gotten everything off my chest and we, you know, I feel guilty. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret this but I can't help but wonder how Caroline is going to take this. Nothing I say will make this hurt any less. She's my best friend so I should be the one to tell her."

Stefan chuckled.

"Stefan, this isn't funny, why are you laughing?" I was confused.

"Because Caroline and I aren't together."

Wait What. "Wait, what? The last time I was here she told me you guys had kissed and that she was going to tell you she had feelings for you. I was sure you guys were going to get together."

"Oh we did but it only lasted a couple of months. We realized we're better off as friends and our relationship wasn't…" He struggled to find the right word.

"Passionate." I finished for him.

"No, it wasn't." He smirked. "She wasn't you."

I reached up and pulled his face down to mine. We kissed for few seconds.

"Why didn't you tell me that before when I was spilling out my guts?" I half frowned.

"You didn't ask, you just assumed we were together." Smartass.

"Well you still could have told me instead of having me think I was making you cheat on my best friend."

"If I was with Caroline this wouldn't have happened. You should know that."

"I do know that which is why I'm glad you're not with her." I joked.

Stefan shook his head and kissed my forehead.

"So what do we do now?" I asked him.

"How about I run us a nice, hot bath and I'll crack open a bottle of wine."

"That sounds nice but I meant what happens now between us?"

"Well you know I love you and want to be with you, you've already told me the same so now I guess we just take things slow."

"We have too much history to take things slow. But I do agree that we shouldn't jump right into a relationship because I want us to get to know each other again. And this time things will be different because we're different."

Stefan agreed. He got up in all of his naked glory to get the bath tub running and I watched his cute behind as he sauntered into the bathroom. I was on cloud nine and I never wanted to come down. Being loved by Stefan was a feeling like no other. He made me feel like the only girl in the world. I loved him so much.

He walked back into the room with a white towel wrapped around his waist and dipped into the bed to kiss me. "The bath is ready" he whispered. It gave me chills. "Ok, I'm coming."

While we were in the bath tub I asked him about what was up with Damon going to see Bonnie. He told me he thought they were sleeping together. I almost choked on my wine. But not out of jealousy, I was surprised but also excited to be able to tease Bonnie about it when I see her. Just like she would tease me for swapping brothers again. But this time was the very last time.

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 **A/N: I want to read your reviews so leave a comment!**


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